Engine starter



Julyzs, 1931.

M. 8:. JACKSON ETAL 13 1 ENGINE STARTER Filed Oct. 24, 1929 mm. a

' CANADA" I i i t v Applieationffiled,bctober 2 This invention relates to engine starters 'an d more particularly-to the inertia type of starter'in which the starter'pinion is mounted on a screw shaft so that it will bemoved by ii the rotation. of the shaft longitudinally thereof into mesh with an engine gear and {will then'be rotated with the {shaft to drive the gear-and our object is to provide ade'vice f this character which will, readily'fmesh l t with the engine gear. 1 1 -W e attain'our; object by 'providinguthe screw shaft withtwostarter pinions. ar

ranged on oppositesides of the enginegear. The teeth of the pinions'are so arranged that theiteeth of-onepinion areout of alin'ement with the teeth of the'other pinion when the, pinions. arrive attheir'positions for meshlng I with the gear. The chances of one of the pin- V i'ons moving axially directly into mesh with @the gear are thus increased 'and'should' both pinions collide the gear'the rotary moves I ment necessary 'to mesh one of them there? with would be not more than, half that, required in thecase of a single pinion. p The constructions vare hereinafter more fully described and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings in Which: ip Fig; l is a side elevation'of our improved starter showing the pinions in their normal inoperative positions; i I Fig; 2 a view similar to towards the gear; i p, a e 3 a cross-section onthe line:8 3" 1n Fig. 2 showing the teeth of one of the pinions in contact with the teeth of the gear, the teeth of the other pinion beingin; alinement'with.

, the spaces betweenthe gear teeth 1 Fig. 4a view similar to Figs; 1 and 2 ginegear, one pinion being meshed with the gear' as shown full lines, and both pinions partlyin mesh 'in'dottedlines; and

- Fig. 5 adetail showing thestarter posi- 5 tioned for driving the' 'gear with one pinion 1 1 is the armature shaft of a' startermotor F 1 showing the pinions' after they ha've been moved axially show 0Si "the starter positioned fordriving the 'en-r ENGINE smenuinit v p f 4, 1929." Serial n 462,236.

I (not shown) and on the shaft is threaded twoits sni. trample Antennae; laifomrsifetr, on oronto, on'mnro, on innni V r 'i s .TQJJ EA FIDEJ IN EB N ,CO gLIMI TED, 0F LEASIDE, on'rAmo starterpinions'2 and 8 either one ofwhich is'adapted to mesh With a gear' i of the'en gine to be started. '.l"hethreads 2 and 3 for the "pinions2and 3, are directed oppo? sitely to one another so that both 'pinions;j due to their inertia, are moved towards the? gear when the'shaft '1 is rotated bythestarter motor; The teeth of thepinions {are-so ar f ranged thatthe teeth of'one pinion are subfi stantially' half a'to'oth ahea of'theteethoff a the other pinion when the pinions arrive at" their positions for meshinig with the gearas shown'in Figs. 2' and'3.

f these views the teethof the pinion'2 are in register with the 1 spaces betweenthe teeth of'the gear 4 sothati the s'aidpinion will be m'ove'dinto'inesh therea with. ,As soon as the pi'nion teeth enter his tweenthe gear'teeth the latter prevent rotation of the pinion 2 whichi's then fed by the either pinionbeingmeshed with'the gear. 'VVhen the axial movement of the pinion2 *thread '2 until it meets thepinionifi jthe threads, 2 and 3 being crossed to permit one or both'pinions will drive the gearand will be de-meshed in the usual. manner when the engine is started. it Abutmentsfi and 5 I carried by the shaft limits the de-meshing v movementof the. pin'ions 2 and 3 respectively 'f i Should the teeth of'the pinion 3 register with the spaces between the teeth of the engine gear 4 when the pinions arriveat their 5]; .7 8 l .ion 3 wil1 mesh with'the gear and be fed,

positions for meshing With the geari'the' pin the thread 3, until it meets the pinion 1 In lease, the teeth I of both pinion's collide with the teeth of'the gear, the axial movementjof' both pinions willbe temporarily? sto'ppedand the gearwill be frictionally gripped-between them, The'starter will now I operate'as a frictional grip drive turning f I,

, the gear and rolling thereon until such time x p as the teeth ofone of the pinions mesh with" a the teeth of=the gear. As the pressure of the 'pinionslon oppositesi'des of the gear is equal 'i there is no tendency to movetheshaftaXial-"Y 1y and thus jam it againstitsbearings' On account of the thereinbefore mentioned arrangement the teeth .of one pinion relative to the teeth of the other, pinion, the rela- 7 tive rotary movement of the pinions: and

gear" necessary to permit'clearance for the teeth of one of the pinions Will benotmore I than half the Ol IOH lQbf PllSOh of the gear,

' Wh'ea ithe thread is'of usual :piteh ifGT this 2 type of starter,it is obvious that the..pinions 'Willemeet in various positions depending on the emery m vejsient necessary to mesh the armonk in Figi We have-shown in full lines the pinion 2 only in mesh ,Wltll the gear 4 H in which case this pinion has required very little 01 110 rotary I'DOVGIIIGII; to mesh it with the gear and has been'fedliythe'thread? into "ivith ;the g pin-ion ;3 befere the latter has" been' neshe'd QWltll the gear '41. In the I dotted :lines iaEig'. 4 the meshing of thepinion -hasiheen delayed, thus both ;pinion s I have heen rotagted simnlta-negl sly and, While "thejpinionflhas been -meshed; first, the rota- I 7 tion off the-shaft tof-feedthepinienfialong I th'e shaft has res ilted i i-the meshing of the other pinionB with the jgear 4c. Both pinions are;thi s meshed With the-,- gear, In either "of a rotatable shaft havingright and left hand threads, tW0 "starter pinions threaded on the said threads for longitudinal movement towards one another and the gearby the ro'tation of the shaft. I

4:.-'-'I- I1" :In engine starter drive the combination'with a gear of an engine to be started,

of a, rotatable shaft having right and left hand threads, two starter 'pinions threaded Yon the said threads for longitudinal move otf the aho ve mentiened eases thes ,pinions when "they meet- Will he .-restrained :from

i l further axial anovementby the equal pressure at; on isg i "t othe er y t gear will be driven. It is obvious thatif the threads 2?, 3 hej -f ve1 y,long pitch, the i pin- 7' ionffirstgneshedwithjthe gear willforce the other pinion -axially until it engages its alo ntofthe -PE-IQOQGi II -IHQSh 1 with the gear to eause the la'st-mentionedi inion to be rotatedwith the-shaft to drivetheggearg see Fig. 5;

. h Weia i1 1. Ii l e eia st r I s merit-rd limits the-axial-movement l M the 'ooInb'inaition of arotatable;shaft.; twusmrterfipinions me iated-thereonforiretary movementfthere I with a nd iior'long1tudinalsmqvement thereofv I to-mesh a geanof the -'engine to he sta'r'ted,- and" means for moving the ,pini'ons to- :Wards thesgea ,the pinions being disposed on oppositesides of the 'Igear and having their/teeth arranged so @th'at'the te'eth '0f one pinionpare Qttt of alinenaent with thei'teeth of itheotherpinion when the pinien's arriveat v theinpositions for meshingjwith tlieggear. I

f2. Eng-an engine starter drivefthe I combination with a gearf-of;an engine tohe started, :of a rotatable shaft tW-o --starter ,pinions in ented; thereon for rotar'y movement there- Y Wi-th andforlongitu-dinalmovement towards V oneanothfer-andthe geamandmeans for 'causmfgsueh-loiigit idmal movementof the starter vpinionsiby the' rOtati n -Ofthe shaft, the

pinions having their teeth arranged so that Wheiteeth of one pinion are "out {of alinjement with the {teethjof the other pinion -vvh*en the pinions arrive their-positions for-meshing Withf the -gear.

e V in-an e gine=staBter-drive-theeo'mhina QQ-lW-Qk ssa ie eiaieng t be sta te 

